June 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th, 2020 webinars from 10am - 11:30am
This event is offered to school teams, not individuals. Team Application Form (2-4 people) is due by May 28th. You will be informed of your acceptance to the series on June 1st. Upon your acceptance, a packet will be emailed to you. You will need to fill in information about the student on which you would like to focus during the series. You will receive instructions on where to return the completed packet.
Additionally, there are three webinars on various topics critical to the decision making process scheduled on September 16, 2020, October 26, 2020 & December 2, 2020 from 8am - 9:30am. Please note: you must attend all 7 webinars to receive continuing education credit for this series.
Who Should Attend? This session is designed for AT teams - Any
combination of the following: SLPs; OTs; Sp. Ed. Teachers; PTs;
Social Workers and Administrator.
What Is It? This presentation will provide an overview of AAC implementation tools and strategies as they pertain to the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessment process within the education environment. Participants will compare features of AAC systems including communication boards & books, mobile technology apps and dedicated speech generating devices. The steps of an AAC assessment will be outlined & discussion will focus on evaluation models, tools, formats and recommendations.
There will be 3 required follow up webinars to reinforce strategies for the AAC decision making process and provide support as participants complete an AAC assessment with their own chosen student.
Learner Outcomes:
Participants complete an AAC assessment with their own chosen student.
Participants will walk away with the knowledge necessary to make decisions that best support a student's communication needs within the classroom.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: Hours - 10.5
Illinois State Board of Education: Hours - 10.5
Heather Miller, MS, CCC-SLP, UCP Seguin/Infinitec & Mary Sowers MS, CCC-SLP,
Heather Miller is a Speech Language Pathologist and an AAC specialist. After receiving a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Iowa, Heather received her her M.S. in Communication Disorders from St. Xavier University. Currently she is the Assistive Technology Lead for Collaborations and Trainings at United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago-Infinitec where she collaborates and consults with district AT teams to help assist in the integration of augmentative and alternative communication into the classroom environment. She also provides training in a variety of topics related to assistive technology and AAC. Heather has presented at Closing the Gap and co-authored a series of videos about parent-child interaction. Her previous experiences include working as a Speech Language Pathologist at the Technology and Language Center, providing therapy for individuals using AAC, working as an SLP at Northern Suburban Special Education District's Education and Life Skills program, and participating in an internship at the Alan J. Brown Center for Augmentative Communication and Environmental Control at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Mary received her Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Speech Pathology from Eastern Illinois University. She received a Master's Degree in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University. Mary worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Specialist for many years in both private practice and public school environments. She became the Director of Technology at the Special Education District of Lake County (SEDOL), and then moved into the role of Principal of a center-based school within SEDOL that served students with severe/profound disabilities. Mary retired from SEDOL in 2016 and currently works for Infinitec on a part time basis.
